Centrifugal pump constructions, of the type known as double housing pumps, shell pumps and/or barrel-type pumps, are surrounded by a barrel-like housing. The barrel, provided with suction and pressure connection pieces, is closed off tightly with a cover in a plane perpendicular to the shaft. The drive shaft passes through the cover as well as through a shaft seal. The advantage of constructing the housing in this way is that the barrel can remain connected to the pipelines and foundation when the pump is disassembled. These pumps are usually multi-stage pumps and are used for high and very high pressures, particularly as a boiler feed pump. A forged housing, which has the highest resistance to pressure, can be used as the barrel. To operate a pump of this construction with the best possible efficiency, it is necessary to coordinate the impellers or wheels and the subsequent guide wheels very precisely for each particular application, thus requiring a considerable expenditure for design and manufacture for each application.
It is an object of the present invention to develop a construction for such pump housings that is improved in efficiency and is adaptable to numerous different installations.